Reading a skill's actual description field is the fastest way to understand what makes a good one — better than any abstract explanation. Below are 40 real examples across five professions, each installable, not illustrative.
New to skills entirely? Start with what Claude Skills are first. Want to write your own? See the format and a worked example.
Software Engineer
| Skill | Use it when |
|---|---|
| Writing Code with AI | When you need to implement a new feature, function, or component from scratch |
| Reviewing Code | When you want a thorough review before merging a pull request or submitting code |
| Debugging Errors | When your code throws an error or behaves unexpectedly and you need to find and fix the cause |
| Writing Tests | When you need tests written for new or existing code to ensure correctness |
| Architecting Systems | When starting a new system, service, or major feature and needing an architectural plan |
| Generating Technical Docs | When you need documentation written for a codebase, function, or API |
| Optimising Performance | When you need to make code, queries, or pages significantly faster |
| Planning DevOps Setup | When setting up deployment infrastructure, CI/CD, or containerisation for a project |
Install the full software engineer set →
Lawyer
| Skill | Use it when |
|---|---|
| Reviewing Contracts | When a client sends a contract for review before signing or negotiation |
| Researching Legal Issues | When you need to quickly survey the legal landscape on a specific issue |
| Drafting Legal Documents | When you need a first draft of a legal document quickly from an issue summary |
| Conducting Due Diligence | When evaluating a target company or transaction for legal risk before closing |
| Summarising Depositions | When you need a structured summary of a deposition transcript for trial prep |
| Managing Client Intake | When opening a new client matter and needing a structured summary for the file |
| Generating Billing Entries | When converting daily work notes into billable time entries |
| Redlining Documents | When you need to return a marked-up version of a contract with negotiation rationale |
Install the full lawyer set → · Deep dive: 8 AI workflows for lawyers →
Doctor
| Skill | Use it when |
|---|---|
| Writing Clinical Notes | When you need a complete SOAP note generated from encounter details |
| Generating Differential Diagnoses | When evaluating an unclear presentation and needing a structured differential |
| Writing Discharge Instructions | When a patient is being discharged and needs written home care instructions |
| Synthesising Medical Literature | When you need a quick evidence summary to guide a clinical decision |
| Suggesting Medical Coding | When you need accurate ICD-10 and CPT codes selected from a clinical encounter |
| Drafting Referral Letters | When you need to refer a patient to a specialist and need a clear, complete referral letter |
| Creating Care Plans | When managing a chronic condition patient and needing a comprehensive, goal-oriented plan |
| Summarising Patient History | When you need a concise summary of a complex patient's history before a consultation |
Marketing Manager
| Skill | Use it when |
|---|---|
| Building Content Strategy | When planning a content marketing programme for the next quarter or year |
| Writing SEO Content | When you need a search-optimised piece of content that ranks and converts |
| Creating Ad Copy | When launching or optimising a paid advertising campaign |
| Analysing Competitors | When you need to understand the competitive landscape and find positioning opportunities |
| Optimising for AI Search | When you need content to appear in AI-generated search answers, not just traditional search results |
| Building Email Campaigns | When you need email copy written for a campaign, welcome sequence, or newsletter |
| Reporting Marketing Metrics | When you need to turn raw marketing data into a clear, actionable executive report |
| Managing Social Media | When you need social media posts written or a content calendar planned |
Install the full marketing manager set → · Deep dive: Claude Skills for marketing managers →
Product Manager
| Skill | Use it when |
|---|---|
| Writing PRDs | When you need to translate a product idea into a structured spec the engineering team can build from |
| Creating User Stories | When you need to break down a feature into development-ready user stories |
| Analysing User Feedback | When you have a batch of user feedback and need to identify patterns and product priorities |
| Building Roadmaps | When you need to translate a backlog of ideas into a coherent, prioritised roadmap |
| Conducting Competitive Research | When you need to understand your competitive position and identify differentiation opportunities |
| Defining Metrics & OKRs | When you need to define how success is measured for a product, feature, or team |
| Writing Release Notes | When you need to communicate product changes to users in a clear, engaging way |
| Facilitating Sprint Planning | When you need to plan and structure a sprint for your engineering team |
Install the full product manager set →
What makes these examples work
Look across all 40 and the pattern repeats: every "use it when" line names a specific, recurring task, not a broad category. "Reviews a contract for risk before signing" triggers reliably; "helps with legal work" does not, because Claude has nothing concrete to match a real request against. That single-task specificity is the entire craft of writing a skill worth having — see how to create a Claude Skill for the full format and a worked example built from scratch.
Related Resources
- What Are Claude Skills? The Complete Beginner's Guide — install any of the above
- Claude Skills Marketplace — how to add and install — one command for a whole profession's set
- How to Create a Claude Skill — write your own using this same pattern
- Browse Claude Skills by profession — the full hub, including download options